


Thrown Back In Time

by make_your_user_a_name



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Bad Parent Chuck Shurley, Based on a Tumblr Post, Chuck Lives, Chuck Shurley Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:08:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23745061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/make_your_user_a_name/pseuds/make_your_user_a_name
Summary: Dean Winchester is thrown back to the moment he met Castiel. The way he normally gets out of these type of things is by playing his part, so he does.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 2
Kudos: 76





	Thrown Back In Time

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [N/A](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/608386) by jhoomwrites. 



Dean started as if from a dream, and the walls of the barn came into focus all around him. Sigils painted everywhere, and the metallic smell of paint still clung to the air. He ran a hand slowly through his hair, trying to process what had happened. One minute, he’d been in the bunker, researching ways to take down Chuck, and the next he was here. He knew exactly where he was, he wouldn’t soon forget this place. But why? And how? And most importantly--

“You alright, boy?” He turned his head and saw Bobby standing in the corner, touching up one of the symbols on the wall.

“Yeah, just, uh--”

“Dean, we’re going to figure this out. Whatever evil son of a bitch did this to you, he’s gonna die.”

Dean nodded, not trusting himself to speak. The only way this could have happened was Chuck. Chuck messing with his little toys again, playing his stupid game. And the one thing they knew for sure about Chuck was that he wanted his happy ending. He wanted the boys to play their part, to play along. So, if he was getting out of this, then he had to play along. 

Bobby did the ritual and they waited. Dean remembered saying something, mouthing off to Bobby last time, the first time. But there was no need. He knew he did the ritual right. He knew the angel of Thursday was coming. 

The barn overhead started shaking and he glanced at Bobby to make sure he was alright. This place, this moment, he thought about it more than he cared to admit. The first time he was here, he was so lost. Scared, confused, alone. But not willing to admit any of it. He didn’t want to be like that Dean. The Dean that locked up his emotions and pushed away his family. Was that what Chuck was trying to show him? How weak he’d become?

Sparks flew as the lights exploded and the barn doors were flung open to reveal Castiel. But not his Castiel. He struggled to focus on that thought. This Castiel was a soldier. An angel who followed orders and would slaughter him without a second thought. This Castiel did not care about Dean. 

As the angel walked toward them, he saw Bobby raise his shotgun, and he hurried to do the same, knowing that it wouldn’t do anything. Appearances had to be maintained. 

Bobby cast a nervous look at Dean when Castiel kept walking, unbothered by the storm of lead. Dean set his shotgun aside and picked up the demon knife.

“Who are you?” he asked, even though he knew. He knew better than anyone else.

“I’m the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition.” Dean had to fight to keep the smile off his face. Cas had been such a tightass. 

“Yeah, well, thanks for that.” He lunged forward and plunged the knife into Castiel’s chest. And it hurt. Even though he knew it would do nothing, he still stabbed his best friend.

And maybe it was the shock that broke the dam repressing his feeling, but the next words out of his mouth were not him playing a part. 

“Damn, that’s still hot.” The angel peered at him and tilted his head, and Dean knew he had screwed up whatever plan Chuck had. But there was something too familiar in the tilt of his head, something soft in his eyes that Dean was just seeing. None of that had been there before they met, before they developed their “profound bond” or whatever you want to call it.

“Dean?”

“Cas?”

“Why-- how are you--” Cas trailed off, and then looked at Dean with an accusing glare.

“You stabbed me!” 

“Uh, yeah, sorry about that.”

“Why did you stab me if you’re YOU you?”

“What was I supposed to do? I thought we were supposed to play our parts or whatever. Why did you do the whole thunder and lightning show?” Cas rolled his eyes but let his lips fall into a smile. 

“Dean, what the hell is going on? Do you know him?” Bobby was standing there, shotgun still fixed on Castiel’s chest, staring at Dean in bewilderment. 

“That’s a long story, um, he’s, uh, an ex?” 

He ignored Cas’ pointed stare, along with the muttered, “I’m gonna send your ass back to hell,” that went with it. 

Before Bobby could respond, Cas reached his arm out and put two fingers on his forehead, sending him straight to sleep.

“An ex?”

“Whatever, Cas, I was scrambling.”

They looked at each other and shrugged, and Dean couldn’t stop his eyes from drifting to Cas’ hair. It was as messy and beautiful as it had been the first time they met. 

“So, we’re back,” Cas said, trying to meet Dean’s eyes unsuccessfully. 

“Yeah, what do you want to change?”

“Change?”

“Chuck must have some reason for sending us back here, right? Maybe we’re supposed to change something.”

“Oh, right.”

“So, let’s go find him. Kick his ass.” Cas rolled his eyes fondly. 

“Yes, because I’m sure he didn’t predict we would do that. He sent us back Dean, he’s off limits. Why don’t we go take care of Ruby?”

“Ruby? Oh, shit, Ruby. Yeah, okay.”

They walked together out of the barn, leaving Bobby lying there (Dean had protested but Cas insisted he would be sleeping for over a week, and besides, he had placed protection over the barn and it was covered with enough sigils to protect New York City) and made their way to the Impala. 

“Hi, Baby, you miss me?” Dean said, happily running his hand over her hood. 

“Dean, you drove her yesterday.”

“Right.”

They drove together in silence, neither one quite sure what to say in such a situation. It wasn’t uncomfortable, though. They always found solace in one another’s company. 

They reached the motel Sam had been staying at (thank Chuck Cas had a vice-like memory, Dean would never have remembered) and stood outside his room. 

“What are we even gonna say?” Cas tilted his head, considering for a moment. 

“It’s Ruby we’re after. We don’t need to say anything to Sam.” Dean nodded before knocking twice on the door. But instead of his oversized, incredibly dumb baby brother, he was greated by a short man with a scruffy beard. An impossibly infuriating man, who wasn’t actually a man at all. 

“Hey guys! Cas, looking great. Dean, good to see you. Come on in!”

“Chuck,” Dean growled, going for his gun. 

“Nope, none of that, Dean,” Chuck said, and with a wave of his hand sent the gun flying away. With another wave of a hand, Dean and Cas were sitting in chairs opposite each other, both unable to move. 

“What the hell is this?” Dean said. Cas just sat there, silently glaring daggers at the father he had once placed so much faith in. 

“The best part of my story.” 

“What?” Dean’s confusion was mounting by the second. Chuck had never made sense, but even for him, this was a little out there.

“It was never supposed to happen, actually. My design was always about the brothers. Sam and Dean, saving the world. I mean Cas was going to be part of it. But not like this.”

“Cut the bullshit.” Dean looked at Cas appraisingly. Never thought he’d hear those words out of his guardian angel’s mouth. 

“Aw, Cas, you shock me. You and Dean. It was never supposed to happen. But I don’t control my character's feelings, not entirely anyway. But now that it has happened, it could be the perfect addition. The epic love story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. But you two are the most stubborn characters I’ve ever worked with and if I didn’t intervene you would keep swallowing your feelings until even I ceased to exist.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Dean tried to keep his voice steady but his ears were tinged pink. Of course, Chuck knew he had fallen for Cas. He was God. But Cas didn’t know, and now their friendship was going to come crumbling down. He kept his eyes fixed on the floor, desperate to not look at the angel he had fallen for. Desperate to avoid the disgust he knew would be on his face. 

“So, I brought you back here,” Chuck went on, ignoring the interruption. “Where it all started. Hoping that would spark a conversation. And you decide to go after the demon chick? She barely mattered to the story anyway! But, I have you here now, so, who wants to go first?”

Cas didn’t speak, and Dean was determined to keep his mouth shut too. His gaze was still fixed on the floor, and he was sure his entire face was bright red by now. 

“Castiel, why don’t you go first?” Chuck snapped his fingers. “Don’t worry, just a little truth spell to help you along. Castiel, are you in love with Dean?”

It was a whisper, spoken in shame. So low Dean could barely hear it, but he did. And it set his heart pounding. “Yes.”

Chuck laughed. A cruel, condescending, laugh. “And Dean, are you in love with Cas?”

He could feel the words being torn from his throat. He struggled to keep his voice low, but it came out as a shout. “Yes!”

“Good. Now that we have that taken care of, you can go back to trying to defeat me. You can’t win, Dean Winchester. You see, I always get my way. The perfect story. Even when you think you can win, can develop something like this that I never saw coming. I control it all in the end.”

They were whisked back to the bunker, Dean’s head still spinning. It finally hit him that Cas had said yes. He had said he was in love with Dean. But it must have been Chuck, forcing a lie out of him. 

They both awoke, sitting at the table. Sam was gone, and Jack was too. Dean made eye contact with Cas for the first time since they’d run into Chuck. He felt like he was in a lightning storm, peering into that blue, but he also felt safe. It was so clear, so bright. He couldn’t stop the blood rushing to his cheeks. 

“Dean. Did you mean it?” The angel’s voice was hurt and timid, and Dean finally let his mind open to the possibility that this wasn’t one of Chuck’s schemes. 

“Yes,” he said simply, his heart threatening to pound out of his chest.

And then Cas was standing, pulling him up into an embrace. Their arms stayed wrapped firmly around each other as their lips pressed together. The world spun and happiness filled Dean’s whole soul. His hands lifted to Cas’ cheeks and he gently cupped the angel’s face.

“I love you Castiel,” he said, pressing their foreheads together. 

“I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Based heavily on this tumbler post  
> https://classicallysuperwholock.tumblr.com/post/615863692522831872/jhoomwrites-jhoomwrites-fic-where-deans
> 
> Also posted on Tumblr


End file.
